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Latest Changes - All Parts
See the differences
file for a complete, chronologically ordered sequence of changes.
II. Specific Equipment Questions (Part 7)
A. Canners--Pressure and Waterbath, Canning EquipmentA.1.1 I see different sized canners for sale. Why should I get a
big one?
from Dirk W. Howard (dhowardNOSPAM@novell.com)
My wife and I have two All-American canners. One can do a double stack of pints and a
single stack of quarts, and the other can do a triple stack of pints and a double stack
of quarts. I like the large capacity. It means that in a 75 minute processing time I can
do anywhere from 9 to 18 pints in the "smaller" canner and up to 27 pints in the "large"
canner. Total would be 45 pints if running both canners. As opposed to 375 minutes (3
hours 15 minutes) to process 45 pints in a single 9 pint canner. OK, this isn't fair
since I did gauge two canners on one. Let's say that your goal was to process 36 pints
of green beans. In a single stack canner that is four different batches. Just the
processing time alone is 5 hours. This doesn't count the vent time and the cool down. A
canner that can have a double stack of pints cuts the processing time down to 2-1/2 hours.
This can be worth the extra price of the canner and the trouble (minimal) to work with.
A.1.2 What do I need to know about a waterbath canner?
Make sure you get one tall enough for your needs. _Putting Food By_ had a very good piece
about actually measuring the height of the waterbath canner before you buy it. If you are
going to be canning qts, you need to make sure that you bring a quart jar with a
two-piece lid on. Get the waterbath canner out of the box (or look for one already out),
put the jar in the rack, and make sure you have at least 3" of clearance between the top
of the jar and the top of the canner. You want to be able to maintain a roiling boil
(full tilt, manly-man, no-holds-barred boil, not a girly simmer) of water comfortably
over the jars, with enough clearance to make sure that the boiling water isn't going to
boil over onto your stove and into your burner.
Also need to know your stove. If you have a gas stove, can use the waterbath canners with ridges; if you have an electric stove, you should use flat bottom canners. Also with electric stove, measure the size of your burner. You'll get best results with a canner that overhangs the burner by less than 4".
Lesson for the newcomer to canning: a ruler is the most important tool you'll have. Use it liberally.
A.1.3 What do I need to know about gauges, either weighted
or dial?
This from Louis "Butch" Nagel, Embarcadero Home Cannery [This applies to pressure canners
only -- JTE]:
For the weighted gauge, every time it lets the steam out of the vent tube it creates a
slight change in pressure, which lifts the lid from the jar rim (ever so slightly) and
pumps some product out of the jar. This accounts for residue on jars and a slight amount
of food in sealing surfaces, creating a condition of incipient spoilage. I suggest that a
weighted guage only be used for cooking food, not canning.
For the dial gauge, a food preserver must test his dial gauge canner *every* year before canning season [Hey! Maybe near the time of daylight saving; you're changing your clock and checking your smoke alarm anyway.--LEB], and sometime throughout the canning season, depending on the amount of use. This gauge should also be tested/retested if the lid was dropped, because a sharp jolt can cause a dial gauge to lose its calibration.
Even if you buy a brand-spanking-new dial gauge pressure canner, you *must still* test the gauge. I've found that nearly 50% of new dial gauges have gross errors on the minus scale (i.e. inside doesn't get as hot as the dial gauge would lead you to believe).
A.1.4 I got this pressure canner (not cooker!) for a gift. How do
I take care of it?
From: phillipsNOSPAM@colum.edu (Gary Phillips x397)
The two largest US manufacturers of pressure canners for home use are Mirro and Presto. I
imagine their products are available in Canada and if you can find a hardware or cooking
supply store that handles either brand they will be able to special order these items for you
even if they don't have them in stock.
My present canner is a Mirro. It does 7 quart jars at once, operates at a choice of 5, 10, or 15 psi, and cost me about $50 in US currency six years ago. It was the least expensive model offered by a local hardware store from stock, and prices went up from there to as high as $100. It has been well worth the investment.
Do NOT buy a pressure *cooker* for canning. Although most of them purport to be suitable for doing a few jars (3 or 4) at a time, in fact they can't hold the temperature and pressure evenly enough for really safe operation.
From: phillipsNOSPAM@colum.edu (Gary Phillips x397)
Yes I bet...I would love to find one at a garage sale. BTW if I ever do, do you know what to
look for to make sure it is still operating safely?
Sure. Check the rim of both pan and lid to make sure there are no nicks or damage to the
interlocking tabs. Make sure the safety pressure release (usually a rivet-like rubber plug)
is still present and soft and moving freely in its slightly oversized hole. Check the gasket
that goes between pan and lid for cracks or hardening. Make sure the pressure vent is clean
and open, and that the seat for the pressure release weight is smooth and fits well. If there
is a pressure gauge, it may need recalibration. Contact the manufacturer for information about
that. It would probably be a good idea to order a new gasket and a safety release at the same
time. (And an instruction manual if you didn't get one with the canner.)
When you are satisfied that everything is present and working, run a test with just water
in the pan. Raise pressure to 5 psi and hold it for 15 or 20 minutes, watching carefully for
leaks or drips that might indicate problems. If there is a safety interlock to prevent
opening while pressure is present examine it to determine whether it has activated. Allow
pressure to drop and make sure the interlock doesn't release (not by trying to open the pan
under pressure, but by visual examination) until pressure is gone and you can remove the
release weight without any steam escaping.
----
Care Of Pressure Canning Equipment
To preserve low-acid foods which are safe, good tasting and nutritious, you need to
correctly use equipment which is well-maintained and in good operating condition.
Safety Vents or Petcocks:
- Be sure the vent is clear and unobstructed. Use Q-tip or cotton string to clean.
- Be sure vent tubes are screwed tightly into lid.
- If it is a model with vent under the handle, be sure the lever is moving freely.
- If it is a model with a petcock, be sure it opens and closes freely, either by screwing or
flipping the lever up and down.
- If there is a film from hard water on the petcock, and it can be unscrewed from the lid,
soak the parts in vinegar, then wash and dry.
- A ball and socket type petcock can be cleaned with silver polish.
Safety Overpressure Plugs:
- If it is a metal alloy or composition metal plug that screws into the lid, do not try to
remove it.
- If it is a rubber plug, use the thumbnail test to see if the rubber is still pliable enough.
If pressure with thumbnail leaves a permanent dent in the rubber it is too brittle for safe
use and should be replaced.
- If either type of plug has been blown out by overpressure in the canner, it must be replaced
by a new plug. Do not try to reuse the plug that blew out.
Gaskets:
- Soak gasket in hot water for an hour to soften before the first use of the season.
- Insert gasket into its groove in lid. If it is either too shrunken to fit to the edge, or
too stretched to lie smoothly in the lid, it must be replaced.
- Use thumbnail test: if pressure with thumbnail leaves a permanent dent in rubber, it is too
brittle and should be replaced. Rubber safety plug should be replaced at the same time, since
it will probably be too brittle also.
Pressure Gauge:
- Have dial and pop-up gauges tested every year before canning season at your local
Cooperative Extension Office. If it is inaccurate it must be replaced.
- Check entrance port and carefully remove any debris that may have accumulated.
- Be sure gauge is screwed firmly into lid. If it attaches with a nut on the underside of
the lid, be sure the nut is tight.
Weighted Pressure Regulators:
- Have no moving parts so there is no need to have them tested for accuracy.
- Be sure they are clean, with no debris or food residue encrusted especially in the sockets
where the weight fits over its vent.
- Be sure the entrance port and vent pipe are open and unobstructed.
- Be sure there are no nicks or damage to the weight or to the tip of the vent pipe where the
weight fits.
Canner Lids:
- Be sure handles are securely attached.
- Be sure gasket fits smoothly into its groove in the lid.
- Set lid on canner and turn to lock it into place. It should turn on smoothly and easily.
- If it does not turn on easily, check to be sure gasket is properly seated in its groove.
Adjust if necessary.
- If the gasket is properly seated, check the lid. If the lid is warped or bent, it might be
replaceable. Contact the manufacturer. If it is an old model or no longer manufactured, there
may be no way to continue using it as a pressure canner. It may be used as a regular pot for
cooking. If this is the case, remove the gasket, and if possible open or remove the gauge and
overpressure plugs or petcocks, to avoid the possibility of pressure buildup.
- If there is no visible problem but the lid continues to be tight, a small amount of
petroleum jelly or cooking oil may be applied to the gasket to lubricate it.
Canner:
- Be sure there is a rack in the canner.
- Check the bottom for flatness. Older model canners may warp if overheated. If the bottom is
not flat or the canner will not sit flat on the heating element or burner of the stove, it
should not be used for canning. Warped canners may be used for cooking. Once warped, the
damage *can not* be reversed.
- Put 1 inch of water in the canner, close the lid, heat the water and pressurize the canner.
Check to see if steam is escaping at any point other than the petcock or safety vent.
- If steam is escaping around the gasket and it seems to be properly in place, a *small*
amount of petroleum jelly or cooking oil may be rubbed around the gasket. This will soften it
and help it to seat more securely. Too much oil or jelly will over-soften the rubber, and
will leave a sticky residue on the canner.
- With weighted gauge canners, if the weight only hisses continuously and does not rock or
jiggle intermittently as the manufacturers' directions specify, check to see if the stove is
level. This type of weight must hang in a centered position on a vertical vent. If the stove
is not level the weight will not hang properly and steam will escape in a continuous stream
from the side, so the pressure will not build up properly.
- If steam is escaping around the base of any of the vents (dial gauge, weight vent, safety
vent, petcock) where they screw into the lid, and if you can screw them out of the lid, the
threads can be wrapped with plumber's tape to seal them. Plumber's tape is a stretchy,
non-sticky silicon tape used to seal threads. It is available in small rolls from a hardware
store. Be sure to wrap the tape in the right direction, so that when you screw the vent back
into the lid, the direction of the turning does not unwrap the tape.
Canner Use:
- Follow manufacturers' directions for use of your particular model.
- Use canner on the appropriately sized burner. A canner should not hang over the edge of the
burner by more than 2 inches on either side.
- Be sure to center the canner on the burner. Some ranges do not allow enough space to center
a large canner on rear burners. [N.B. Those newfangled smooth-top induction burners are a
*poor* idea for either a waterbath or pressure canner, both appliances are too heavy, and
the burner can't take it.--Diane Hamilton]
- Be sure lid is securely locked on (turned on, or screwed down).
- If your canner has six or eight large screws and wing nuts to close it, screw them down in
opposite pairs. If there are six, screw numbers 1 and 4 down part way, then 2 and 5, then 3
and 6, then return to the first pair to finish tightening continuing around the lid.
- For all models, be sure to vent the canner for 10 minutes on high heat with a full stream
of steam escaping. This is necessary to remove air from the canner. Air remaining inside will
lower the maximum temperature achievable, and may cause underprocessing of the food. After the
10 min. venting, close the petcock, or place the safety weight or weighted pressure regulator
on the vent. Allow the pressure to build to 10 psig, or to 5 or 15 psig if you are processing
at those pressures. (psig means Pounds per Square Inch by Gauge, the measure of pressure.) Be
sure that you use the proper time for the pressure level that you are using. Check the new
USDA Home Canning Guide for safe recommendations. [Check Part 9, Section VII under Internet
Sites for the Home Canning Guide web addresses.--LEB]
- When canner reaches the specified pressure, begin counting the processing time.
- Reduce heat gradually to maintain the pressure without over-pressurizing. With a weighted
pressure regulator, leaving the heat on too high will not increase the pressure, but will
cause excess steam loss from the canner, since steam will be escaping continuously.
Surpassing the specified pressure in a dial gauge canner will result in soft, mushy or
darkened food, and excessive vitamin loss.
- If the pressure drops below its proper level during processing, increase the heat to bring
the pressure back up, then begin the timing over again from zero, for the full specified time.
- Never run cold water over a canner to cool it. While newer, lightweight aluminum canners
will not warp the way old ones did, the full, slow cool-down time is necessary for adequate
process time. Shortening the time by cooling the canner with water is unsafe. In addition,
excessively rapid cooling may cause jars in the canner to crack or explode as the pressure in
the canner drops more rapidly than the pressure in the jars.
- When the pressure has dropped to zero, wait another 1 minute before opening the canner. On
some models the pressure drop will be visible when the overpressure plug drops back into the
lid, the rubber plug is no longer bulged, or the dial gauge will read zero. Smaller canners
will take at least 30 minutes to cool, larger ones may take over an hour.
- Open the petcock or remove the safety weight carefully and wait until any rush of steam has
stopped. Then open the lid and tilt the back edge up first, so that it directs the steam away
from your face. [and arms. Ouch!]
- Remove the jars immediately. Do not leave jars sitting in a hot canner overnight, spoilage
may result.
Canner Storage:
- It is acceptable to leave clean water in the canner if you are going to be canning again
the next day. However, if much juice from the jars escaped and the water in the canner is
colored it should be discarded.
- Turn the lid upside down and rest it on the canner. The weight of the lid should not be
resting on the gasket during storage as it could deform it.
- For long-term storage at the end of the season, wash and dry the canner well. Be sure all
the parts (safety weight, rack, etc.) are in the canner. A few crumpled newspapers in the
canner will absorb moisture and odors.
- If you unscrew the gauge or vents, coat the threads lightly with petroleum jelly to prevent
rust and make them easier to replace.
- Coat the gasket very lightly with petroleum jelly or oil.
Final Comments
- Burpee, Health, National Victory and Dixie canners are no longer manufactured, and no
parts or service are available for these canners.
- Parts and service are available for Presto, Mirro and All American, and for some models of
National Presto, Kwik Kook, Steamliner and Maid of Honor. If you need further assistance or
have other problems, contact your local Cooperative Extension Office.
- If you are thinking of buying a canner at a garage sale, check to be sure you can open and
close the petcocks. Look for stains or drips down the sides or on the lid near the vents,
they may indicate that the lid does not seal or leaks steam all the time. Check that the lid
twists on and off easily. Check the condition of the gasket. Check that the base is flat. A
rounded base indicates that the canner is warped. Check that there is a rack.
- Buying any of the models listed above as having parts and service available is a much better
bet than one of the older ones. [I.e. Presto, Mirro, and All-American.]
Prepared by Mary A. Keith, Foods and Nutrition, August, 1991
Revised by M. Susan Brewer, Foods and Nutrition, June, 1992
EHE-704
A.1.5 The instructions say the appropriate pressure is being maintained when the weight jiggles about 4 times a minute. When I have the weight set to 15 pounds, I cannot get this to happen. It is either jiggling almost all the time or only 1-2 times a minute.
Two answers from two rec.food.preservers.
From John Taylor (mah48dNOSPAM@rohmhaas.com:
Jiggling once or twice a minute is fine. It indicates that you have full pressure in the
canner, which means it's at the desired temperature. If this is happening at a constant heat
setting, it also indicates that the temperature is not falling and then rising again (which
you wouldn't want). Sounds like you've got an appropriate setting for the flame.
From Richard Nielsen (rnielsenNOSPAM@buzzard.csrv.uidaho.edu):
I've had similar problems with a Mirro 12 qt. I finally decided to let jiggle most of the
time. I add an extra cup or two of water and I've never had it even come close to boiling dry
in a 90 min process time.
A.1.6 Other ways of cleaning a pressure canner..
Compiled by Tracy L. Carter (pa150138NOSPAM@utkvm1.utk.edu):
Here is a summary of the response I got for cleaning out my nasty looking pressure canner
when I forgot to add vinegar.
A.1.7 Where can I find canning equipment parts?
PRESSURE CANNERS
| Name | Liquid capacity | Jar Capacity Quarts |
Jar Caacity Pints |
Gauge Type | Parts Avail | Repair Service | Mirro | 12, 22 (4,6,8 cookers) | 4 7 | 10 20 | weight | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presto | 13,17,22 | 4 7 | 8 16 |
Dial weight | Yes | Yes |
| Wisconsin Alumin. | 7,10,15 | 4 | 4 | dial | Yes | Yes | "All-American" | 21,25,30 | Yes | No |
Dixie Canner (sells the All-American line)
Canners previously made, with no available parts or service:
National Victory
Health
Burpee
Dixie
Note: replacements and testing also available Presto for spring-type "pop-up" pressure regulator.
Presto also services and carries parts for:
Steamliner, Maid of Honor, Model 620, Kook Kwik, Models "Best Made" and "Merit"
BOILING WATER CANNERS
| Name | Jar Capacity Volume Capacity | Quarts | Pints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mirro | 21 | 7 | 9 |
| General Housewares | 12,21 | 7 | 8 |
| Glashaus-Weck (electric self-contained heating unit) | 8 | 11 |
JARS AND LIDS, Jar Sizes
| Vendor | Jar Type | Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Ball | regular mouth wide mouth | 0.5, 1, 1.5 pint, quart, 0.5 gallon 1, 1.5 pint, quart, 0.5 gallon |
| Golden Harvest | regular mouth wide mouth | 0.5 pint, pint, quart 0.5 pint, pint, quart |
| Kerr | regular mouth wide mouth | 0.5, 1, 1.5 pint, quart 1, 1.5 pint, quart |
Addresses for sources:
Mirro Aluminum Corp./P.O. Box 409/Manitowoc, WI, 54220-0409/(414)684-4421.
** also sells Foley, Earthgrown brands
National Presto Industries Inc./3925 N. Hastings Way/Eau Claire, WI 54703/(715) 839-2209. [correction thanks to Lois Grassl (ltgNOSPAM@quality.cray.com)].
Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry Co./P.O. Box 246/Manitowoc, WI 54221-0246/(414) 682-8627
Dixie Canner Equipment Co./Box 1348/Athens, GA 30603/ (404) 549-1914
General Housewares/P.O. Box 4066/Terre Haute, IN 47804/ (812) 232-1000
Ball Corp./345 S. High St./Muncie, IN 47302/ (317) 284-8441
Kerr Glass Manufacturing Corp./2444 West 16th St./Chicago, IL 60608/(312) 226-1700 or (800) 331-2609. [BTW, as of March 1996, Kerr was bought out by Ball.--phone research by the folks at r.f.p.]
Anchor Glass Container Corp./ One Anchor Plaza/4343 Anchor Plaza Parkway/Tampa, FL 33634/ (813) 884-0000. Golden Harvest jars.
Glashaus Inc./415 West Golf Road/ Suite 13/ Arlington Heights, IL 60005/(708) 640-6918. Distributes Weck Products.
Other Sources:
Lemra Products/ 4331 North Dixie Highway/ Suite 4/ Boca Raton, FL 33431/(407) 368-8781.
Makes the Squeezo juicer/press.
NASCO/ 901 Janesville Ave./ P.O.Box 901/ Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-0901/(414) 563-2446 or (800) 558-9595. Home Ec. supplies.
Robert Bosch Corp./Household Products Div./2800 S. 25th Ave./Broadview, IL 60153/(708) 865-5256. Electric juicer/press.
Prepared by Mary A. Keith, Foods and Nutrition, August, 1991
Revised by Susan Brewer, Foods and Nutrition Specialist
EHE-703
A.1.8 What about zinc rings, rubber sealed jars, and other great, but antique, canning equipment?
Selecting Canning Jars and Lids
If you are going to invest the time, the produce, your own energy and your electrical energy
in home canning, then it should be important to you to select the best containers for your
food. Here are some pointers to guide you, or maybe to give you some answers about why the
jars you have used in the past broke in the canner or did not seal.
The best jars to use are standard canning jars. There are several brands on the market. They are all suitable. However, as in any mass-produced product, you may find a few mistakes. Be sure to check the rims, or sealing surfaces. Run your fingertip lightly around the circle to check for any chips or bumps. These will prevent the canning lid from sealing properly. Also look to see that the rim is circular. Occasionally a jar will stick momentarily in the mold and an oval jar is the result. These curiosities can not be used for canning.
While the jars themselves will last for decades, until they are broken, their safe life for canning is much shorter. With the repeated heating and cooling of canning, the glass gradually becomes more brittle. Eventually, it becomes very sensitive to even light shocks. Older jars are often the ones that break in the canner for no obvious reason. Glass manufacturers generally say that a canning jar will have a reliable life of 12 to 13 years. After that their tendency to break increases, and they should be replaced. This includes most of the blue glass jars. [N.B: In addition to being beautiful, some of those colored glass canning jars are valuable collectors' items. Why bother canning with them?--LEB] [A better way to think about this is how many canning cycles has the jar gone through? For example, say you had problems getting a jam to thicken and you re-boiled the jam and re-canned it, say 3 times in one year. If you did that 4 years in a row with the same jar, you would have put '12 years of canning' into 4 years. But if you used a jar every two years for a single canning, you should be able to go longer than 12 or 13 years before getting rid of it.--JTE]
Many of the older jars were made for use with rubber rings and zinc lids. In this style of lid, the seal was not on the rim of the jar mouth but on the shoulder, below the threads. Therefore, the smoothness of the rim was not important. Many of these jars have rough rims, and rims of uneven thickness. These jars will not seal reliably with today's lids. They can be used to store grains and pasta, but are not a good choice for canning. [N.B: Zinc lids are an especially bad idea for processing pickles, since zinc is highly reactive in high salt and acid.--LEB]
Mayonnaise jars or "one-trip" commercial jars are considered by many canners to be the inexpensive alternative to buying canning jars. For some foods that is true. Mayonnaise jars may be safely used for canning foods in a boiling water bath canner. They are generally reliable and will not break at that temperature. [N.B: this subject is controversial. Many people in r.f.p. will disagree with the above statement. I'm one of them.--LEB]
However, they should *never* be used in a pressure canner. The glass sides are slightly thinner than in a standard canning jar. When there is a presure difference between the inside of the jar and its environment they may explode. This occurs when the canner cools while the contents of the jar are often still boiling. In addition, the rims of mayonnaise jars are often thinner than those of canning jars. This means that there is less space for the jar lid to properly seal onto. It is very important that the lid be carefully adjusted onto the jar and be exactly centered. Otherwise, it may not seal.
Prepared by Mary Keith, June, 1991
Revised by M. Susan Brewer, June, 1992
A.1.9 1/2 gallon canning jars. How to find, and what to do with
them?
From Emily Dashiell (antemNOSPAM@peak.org)
I found my first collection of half-gallons at a garage sale. Priced at $3/doz, it was a
steal!!! I bought several doz; then thought about it some more, and drove back the 8 miles and
bought more. I did see new boxes of them, in a large chain store (like Home Depot or some-
such), and the price was $15/doz and that was 5+ years ago! Made my bargains look even better :)
What I did not know THEN was what I would do with them, since I typically can in amounts no larger than quarts. What I know NOW is this: I store all sorts of stuff in them, particularly the wide mouth ones, since you can get bulky stuff (and small hands--mine) in them.
I also did some canning in them: some tomatoes, but it was such a chore since I don't have a pressure canner that I haven't done it more than once. Many of the jars I bought were a Canadian label, only a few Kerr or Ball. And since I collect "fruit" jars as a hobby, the oddities are fun to have as well as to use.
You could make them into terrariums; you could build a model in one; you can make vinegar in bulk: raspberry, orange, assorted herb types, etc. Lotsa uses, just use your imagination.
Most of this information was complied by Anne Louise Gockel (algNOSPAM@cs.cornell.edu)
I thank her from the bottom of my heart. Prices are dated.
From Sept/Oct 1992 Organic Gardening:
The Big-1 [set]:
20 trays, $200 ppd/ 10 trays $170 ppd/ 5 trays $130 ppd
Vita Mix/ 8615 Usher Rd/ Cleveland, OH 44138
800-848-2649 [from Jennifer Cagle
Harvest Maid $100 ppd (4 trays, can add 8 more)
Gardener's Supply Co/ 128 Intervale Rd/ Burlington, VT 05401 802-863-1700
Note from Anne Louise Gockel: when I bought my dehydrator, Harvest Maid had two products, one
was larger and expanded to up to ?30? trays, and the other was smaller; this sounds like the
product that was originally the smaller version. I found that liquid from foods drips down
into the heating and fan area; I ruined one fan with excess juice that gummed it up. Total
cost was about $25 to replace the fan (mail ordered the fan from a repair shop). Running the
machine without the fan caused something else to burn out (another $30) though so be careful!
Nutri-Flow $265 ppd with 6 large rectangular trays and you can add up to 6 more; fan and
heater mounted in the back and air flows horizontally; no need to rotate trays.
Gardener's Supply Co/ 128 Intervale Rd/ Burlington, VT 05401 802-863-1700
For various reasons, I suspect that the horizontal air flow is a better design. Some sources
suggest that you get less "flavors mixing" with a horizontal flow too.
Dehydrator Companies:
American Harvest/ 4064 Peavey Road/ PO Box 159/ Chaska, Minnesota 55318
1-800-288-4545 and (612) 448-4400
Thanks to Joshua H Moffi (jmoffiNOSPAM@uoguelph.ca)
Dehydration Technology/ PO Box 864/ Coupeville WA 98239
Excalibur/ 6083 Power Inn Rd/ Sacramento CA 95824
Harvest Maid/ Alternative Pioneering Systems/ 7900 Computer Ave South/Minneapolis, MN 55435
(800) 624-2945
From ALG: I'm pretty sure this address is no longer any good
Sun Pantry Enterprises/ 16182 Gothard St, Unit N/ Huntington Beach, CA 92647. (714) 848-1686
These plans were painstakingly complied by Anne Louise Gockel (algNOSPAM@cs.cornell.edu)
Prices are included, but are dated. The last several items are posts from people in
rec.food.preserving and misc.consumers.frugal-living.
B.2.1 Tabletop Dehydrator
A Make it yourself dryer that is set on a table. Described in full in Circular #855 "How to
Build a Portable Electric Food Dehydrator" by Dale E. Kirk, Agricultural Engineer, Oregon
State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
Directions for building this dryer are also contained in USDA H&G Bulletin 217, "Drying Foods at Home", 1977. [From ALG: This dryer offers about 8.5 feet of tray surface and handles about 18 lbs, of fruit or vegetables. Basically it is a plywood box that holds 5 screen trays above the heat source, which is nine 75 watt light bulbs. The heat is dispersed by a shield and forced upward through the trays of food by an 8" household fan.]
B.2.3 Electric Dehydrator Plans
B.2.4 Dryer Plans from University Extension Services
For smaller foods (peas, corn, ...) I place crochet 'cloth' (plastic sheets about 10 x 14 inches with tiny holes) I got at Cloth World over the main trays. For liquids I use a teflon-coated cookie sheet. I had one problem when I overloaded the tray and it broke (was spanning 2 feet with only end supports and put 4 lbs of beef for jerky on the tray). I added a center support to the dehydrator, and have had no problems since.
As to dehydrator design, I just made a cube out of plywood. The pieces are screwed into 2x2s (take the plywood away and it would look like a 2 x 2 x 4 foot cube wireframe made out of 2x2s). Added a hot plate I got for $10 at Incredible Universe and a surplus 6-inch computer fan I had already. Temperature control is achieved using a modified electronic aquarium thermostat (range of 90 - 160 F).
Several holes drilled at top and bottom sides for some air exchange, and presto! The entire thing cost about $80 (mostly for the plywood) and can simultaneously dehydrate a LOT of food.
I've made black bean soup, jerky, spaghetti sauce, vegetable soup, huevos rancheros casserole, fruit juice leather, fruit pemmican... All turned out much better than the freeze-dried stuff at the stores.
From: John and/or Mari Morgan (morgansNOSPAM@shore.net)
We had great fun with what we called "the rolling fruit dryer" - my 1981 Chevette hatchback.
In the summer, the temp would get over 120F inside if it was sitting in the sun. So I put the
back seat down, spread fruit on trays, and set it in the hatch section. I covered it with
cheesecloth to keep flies off and left one window about 1/2" open to let some air circulate.
Fruit dried in one day, parked in the sun. Made the car smell nice too! Try it next summer
(or if you live in a sunny climate) if you have a hatchback car.
THE IDEAL SMOKER: from Brian Bigler (biglerNOSPAM@eskimo.com)
I got introduced to smokers the same way most people do, but as a Fisheries Scientist with
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, I enjoy a nearly inexhaustible supply of salmon and
other fish to experiment. The small smokers are okay, but the one I built is a lot more
versatile. Soon after I got introduced to smokers, I built my own from plywood. My present
smoker is about two feet on each side, and about five feet tall. I have three racks scrounged
from where I could find them, and a single-burner hot plate I got from Sears as a heat source.
I fill a 1-pound coffee can with smoker chips intended for charcoal barbeques. The height of
my smoker allows for smoking cheeses on the top rack where it's coolest, and warmer smoking
closer to the heat on the lower racks. The hot-plate has to be set carefully, to a point where
there's just enough heat to smolder the chips within 5-8 minutes. I plug in the hotplate just
long enough to see smoke wisping from the seams, then unplug the cord and allow the chips to
smolder on their own. It takes two loads of chips for each load of fish. BE CERTAIN TO PUT
YOUR SMOKER AWAY FROM YOUR HOME!
Other smoker blueprint sources. These were all compiled by Anna Louise Gockel.
D.1.1 From the University of Minnesota Extension Service we have:
Research shows that both plastic and wooden cutting boards may hide harmful germs. How many
depends on the type of plastic or wood and direction of the wood fibers. The kind of food, type
of germ, contact time, and cleaning practices also affect the number of germs.
HERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES TO INCREASE FOOD SAFETY WHEN USING CUTTING BOARDS:
D.1.2 Similar statements can aslo be found at the FDA site
D.1.3 A slightly stronger bleach solution (2 teaspoons per quart of water and a recommended 10 minute stand) is recommended at the University of Illinois Extension Service site.
D.1.4 Another option was given by Bob Pastorio
... an even more effective sterilizing method is to use distilled vinegar in combination with hydrogen peroxide (from two separate containers - don't mix them before applying to the board). Reduces bacterial contamination to lower than bleach levels. Pour or spray onto the surface, let sit for a minute and drain. Wipe with paper toweling or let air-dry.
These two chemicals won't dissolve wooden boards, sponges and human skin like bleach will.
And the two liquids have the added advantage of being useful for washing any foods suspected of being contaminated without making them taste like laundry products.
[The above] came out of a conversation I had with some people from Virginia Tech. Susan Sumner has done
a good bit of research on it and has published some of her work. References are:
http://my.execpc.com/~mjstouff/articles/vinegar.html
http://www.nal.usda.gov/ttic/tektran/data/000007/68/0000076826.html
http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc98/8_8_98/letters.htm
This section was created as a compendium of tips and tricks. In many cases, I have not seen any of these tricks in the books and pamphlets that I have. They can help you get around specific problems, or are easy ways to do what you have to do. YMMV.
Materials:
1 glass jar; 1 piece of paper and a piece of tape, or a plastic baggie and a
rubber band; a little *cider* vinegar (not white vinegar), or wine or beer; a couple of drops
liquid soap or detergent.
Procedure:
Tape the paper together to make a funnel shape that will rest inside
the mouth of the jar, but have a fairly broad opening. Or, tear a hole in the corner of a
baggie, put it in the jar as a funnel, and secure it around the rim using a rubber band. Put
cider vinegar (or wine or beer) in the bottom of the jar (1/4 inch or 0.5 cm or so). Add a
couple of drops of detergent to the vinegar. Place the paper funnel on the jar. Set on the
kitchen counter near the fruit.
How it works:
Flies are attracted to the cider vinegar, which they interpret
as decaying fruit. They go into the jar (the funnel makes entry easier than exit) and either
fall onto or land on the surface of the liquid. The detergent decreases the normal surface
tension, so they sink and drown. Easy and cheap!
We tested this at our parents' house when the apple crop came in. A single trap caught >100 flies in 2 days.
Acknowledgment:
Thanks to lank-mrcNOSPAM@tigger.jvnc.net who suggested the baggie
method last time I posted this, and to others who suggested beer/wine. [Little bits of
overripe fruit and cheap sherry are also irresistible to fruit flies.--LEB].
"Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is an antioxidant that keeps fruit from darkening. Pure crystals usually are available at drug stores. Prepare a solution of 1 to 2-1/2 teaspoons of pure ascorbic acid crystals to 1 cup cold water. Vitamin C tablets can be crushed and used (six 500 milligram tablets equal 1 tsp ascorbic acid). One cup treats about 5 quarts of cut fruit. Dip peeled and cut fruit directly in ascorbic acid solution. Soak for a few minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, drain well and dehydrate. Commercial antioxidant mixtures are not as effective as ascorbic acid but are more readily available in grocery stores. Follow directions on the container for "fresh cut fruit."
Some oven thermostats can maintain 140F using the heating element or burner; many can't. But don't despair; there's another way. Years ago small metal "play" ovens were manufactured as toys. The heat source was an electric light bulb, which baked small cakes and too often burned the young owners. You can apply the same principal in your gas or electric oven by substituting a larger electric bulb for the 25W appliance bulb that's already in there. Fortunately for this purpose, bulbs are rated by their heat output in Watts, not by their light output in lumens.
Take out the 25W. Turn on the oven light and begin with a 40W, using the thermometer to monitor the heat gain. Move to larger sizes until you reach the right sized bulb that gives the temperature you want when it is on continuously. BE SURE TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL BULB BEFORE USING THE OVEN FOR BAKING.
Leaving the door ajar increases the air flow, but also alters the heat loss characteristics. This is a slow process, but it can work if you are willing to experiment.
I took a good sized cardboard box, made rack holders inside of it and put it in the corner of the living room. I took one of my shop clamp lights and put a hundred watt bulb in it and fixed it to the bottom of the box. I put a metal colander over it to block most of the light and made sure that it wouldn't overheat. I put the racks of herbs in, turned on the light, put the lid on so it would stay dark inside and made sure that I had plenty of vent holes. The house air conditioning kept the humidity down and in two to three days I had dried herbs with color and flavor that you can't buy. Made terrific Christmas gifts. I kept a careful eye and thermometer on the whole works for the first day to make sure that the herbs weren't overheating and that nothing was going to catch fire. I kept going like this for several weeks until a truly torrential downpour put my garden under two feet of water and put me out of business.
High density Polyethylene buckets will have HDPE stamped on them, or a recycle symbol with a "2" in the middle. DISCLAIMER: I'm only passing on information I received from the manufacturers. I am in no way professing these things to be absolute fact!
(Five gallon churns are the best "crocks" I have found.) However, I deal with the odor problem by putting six inches of charcoal in the bottom of a plastic trash can and setting the crocks on it. The charcoal I use is provided by a friend at the Jack Daniels distillery, but any "raw" or activated charcoal will work. Bagged charcoal briquettes, even when crushed, are not really a good option, though. I use a large trash can and can actually get three crocks in at once without crowding. I then put several layers of burlap on top of the covered crocks. (I used laundered peanut bags, but feed sacks would work as well.) Finally, I put the lid on the trash can. The lids for these cans fit fairly tight, but will allow for the equalization of pressure. You can still smell the kim chee working, but you must get very close to the trash can and sniff hard.
The cook was a good cook, as all cooks go; and as all cooks go, she went. --Saki